Reinforced last.



T. P. LARKIN REINFORCED LAST.

APPUCATION FILED APn. |s. 1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

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REINFORCED LAST.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Nov. 2t), 1917.

Application filed April 13, 1917. Serial No. 161,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. LARKIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Reinforced Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representin like parts.

y present invention is a reinforcing device to strengthen the portion of a last such as at the toe, and the reinforced last itself, as an improved article of manufacture.

My invention applies to any style, shape or size last, and is equally advanta eous for use in connection with a solid or look last, a hinge last, or other separable type,

tree feet, followers, etc., and can be employedon childrens, mens or womens lasts. In the use of any of the types of lasts above mentioned, certain portions are particularly liable to damage andinjury during numerous shoe making processes and machine operations to which the last is subjected. One

of these portions particularly liable to damage is at the toe, where the wood of the last is narrowed, usually thin and fined down, and frequently considerably pointed, also running with the grain of the wood from which the last is made. Consequently the toe wipers of the lasting machines ordinarily employed, break or damage the toe portions, particularly at the edge of the toe and bottom of the last, so that the wood constantly breaks away and the last is quickly ruined. In the manufacture of the welt type of shoes, it is impossible to cover the entire last bottom with metal, since the lasting tacks must be free to take hold of the wood of the last. Therefore, considerable difliculty has been experienced in applying reinforcing plates of any kind to the toe portion of lasts intended for welt shoe work. A further difficulty has been that the wood at the toe portion is so thin and narrow that it was difficult, if not impractical, to attach any usual type of thin plates to protect the toe portion, against damage by the wipers as above noted. My invention relates to an improvement inthis feature, enablin a cheap, economical and efficient rein orcing device which has anchoring means remote from the toe portion and lodged in the solid, firm,

inner wood portions of the last, to be applied. A further feature consists in the application of such reinforcement at the toe, as a small light plate, which will cover only a small area of the last bottom, and therefore will not interfere with the lasting tacks entering the wooden part of the last at either side of the toe portion.

The importance of my invention will be appreciated when it is realized that, in welt shoe manufacture, the last is alternately wet and dried from the moist insoles, box toe construction, and the like. It is now customary to steam the box toe, which softens the wood just before lasting, when the greatest strain is applied, thus still further calling upon the last for considerable give and take during the alternate Wet and dry stages. It is important, therefore, that a reinforcing plate should be closely and firmly connected to the toe portion, and,

as above noted, it is impossible to aflix such a plate satisfactory by the usual screws or nails because the wood at the toe is cut away to a very great extent. I am aware that an attempt has been made to reinforce toes by fiber strips, and also that relatively long and correspondingly heavy and expensive iron plates have been applied to the toe por-- tion of a last running back considerably over the forepart in order to admit retaining screws for said plates to be inserted in the solid wooden portion of the forepart, but all these prior efforts have been unsatisfactory, the long and heavy plates, particularly involving expense, preventing the lasting tacks from entering the wood and because the retaining screws were so far back from the point of the toe as to permit a separation of the reinforcing plate from the wood, especially when the wood shrinks, and often tearing the lining during the action of the toe Wipers already explained.

My invention obviates all these prior difficulties and furthermore enables an inexpensive, economical, strong, permanent and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the toe por- .inforcing plate; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the plate. ..As above explained, my reinforced last may be either a solid, hinged, or other type of last, that herein illustrated being a usual type of. hingelast, comprising a forepart 1 and heel part 2. At the extreme toe portion, where the wood of the last is relatively thin and pointed, I apply my reinforcing plate 3. I first provide a relatively small recess 4: acrossthe toe portion of the last of equal depth to the thickness of the metal in the plate 3, leaving a straight shoulder 5 transversely of the last. I then bore obliquely with relation to the surface 5 tworecesses 6 and 7 respectively. These recesses are, of

sufficient depth to extend into the broader and firmer wooden portions of the forepart and being at an angle present no tendency itosplit the wood in the toe portion, which latter is usually along the line of the grain, owing to the general last construction with regard to the grainv of the wood in the last. The plate 3 is provided with rearwardly and obliquely extending prongs 8 and 9; extending fromthe plate 3 corresponding to that of the bored recesses 6 .and 7, and preferably of slightly greater diameter than the bore of said recesses. The plate 3 is then applied to the recess 4: with the rearwar'dly and obliquely extending prongs 8 and 9-driven into the corresponding recesses 6 and 7, thus affording a firm, solid, hold- 40..

ing attachment for the plate 3. Furthermore, the two small recesses which are filled with'a driving fit by the prongs 8 and 9, in no way weaken the toe portion of the last, but actually constitute a reinforcement thereto, solidifying the wood between the prongs and taking up in a solid manner .all strains and stresses to which the toe por- .toe portion from a short distance back from either side, suitable anchor tacks being employed for this purpose, which may be firmly anchored in the wood of the last without interference from thetip plate 3 f or the prongs 8 and 9. The latter are sunk in sufliciently deep so that even should a 'lastin'g tack, as indicated at 10, Fig. 2, be

driven into the last, the plate or prongs would, not interfere therewith while giving the tack: ample hold upon the wood in the last bottom. While the retaining prongs 8 and 9 are quite suflicient to retain. the

small, and light reinforcing plate 3 in its position and the angular construction insures the firm seating and holding of the plate 3 in its positionon' the toe,-I also prefer to make the plate 3 with: a central aper re .11 thro gh which a short screw 12 1s threaded into the toe of the last for the purpose of preventingwithdrawal of the prongs 8 and 9. This screw 12 does not need'to extend any substantial dlstancefllnto the toe portion, being in the nature of a retaining pm or the l1ke to prevent loosening of the toe plateby withdrawal of the retaining prongs, as above explained. It will also be appreciated that my reinforcing plate 3 maybecu'rved'to fit the 'shoe bottom curve in the last. Furthermore, I

contemplate the making or stamping of this bottom. plate 3 witha su flicient area tofit a large range of toe styles. By having the toe plate 3 of greater 'areathan the majority of the toes of lasts, the platelca'n be; applied and then'trimmed down by: shears ,orfiles to-.exact' contour with the style of toe to which it'is fitted. As illustrated in Fig. 2,

the'plate 3 therein shown "could readilybe trimmed downito thecontour and style of toev indicated by the 'dotted line. M15, or

any other centers the range of. the plate. In this manner, but one oritwo standar d sizes of toe plates'willbesuitable for fitting toes. V r

willbe appreciated' that anydesirable manner or method of forming the recess 4 and the angular bor ng G and 7, can be emrec ess and the drills making th e bores, which involves but slight expense and short tilne. My improved,reinforced last is found to stand up perfectly under the strain" of'the lasting wipers and other work 'inthe manulast, such as the cone orheel, should thelatter be deemed desirable, althoughitis the extreme toe portionspas' above explained, .which are subjected to the undue and ex treme strains of lasting wipers and yet'must be left freefor thelasting tacks, and withstand thewetting and drying of the last,i'toe steaming of the. box, and similarly extraordinary stresses to which my last is peculiarly adapted. I a f v S My, invention is-further describedandde- H fined in. the form of claims as follows'i 1-, u emia-Gee last of the kinddescribed,

comprising. a wooden recessed" at the po nt to be re1nf0rced,. a metalhcffplate to substantially all modern styles {of 1)loyed, it being customary to use a guide for the last or TOIllllB 1gs forming I such adapted to fit said recess, and attaching means for said plate extending obliquely from said plate and recess into the solid inner parts of the last remote from the portion reinforced.

2. A reinforced last of the kind described, comprising a wooden last, having a recess at the toe portion of said last across the bottom, and having a shoulder defining said recess, and a metallic reinforcing plate adapted to fit within said recess flush with said shoulder and conforming to the contour of the toe of the last, said last having a plurality of obliquely extending openings from said recess and the metallic plate having a corresponding plurality of angularly extending prongs, fitting said openings and rigidly uniting the plate and last.

3. A reinforced last having a bottom plate at the toe portion to resist the breaking action of lasting machine wipers, comprising a thin metallic plate fitted across the toe porgig tion of the last and a plurality of rear- Wardly and obliquely extending prongs driven within the inner solid parts of the last at a suflicientdepth to avoid interference with lasting tacks, and additional means to prevent the displacement of said plate and loosening of the attaching prongs.

4. A reinforcing plate for a wooden last, consisting in a thin metallic member curved transversely and with appropriate contour to fit the portion of the last reinforced, said plate having a plurality of attaching prongs extending rearwardly and obliquely to penetrate the wooden portion of the last remote from the part reinforced by the plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS P. LARKIN.

Witnesses DUNCAN L. MAOINTYRE, HAROLD J. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenta. Washington, D. 0. 

